John Maeda on the Characteristics of Creative Leaders

John Maeda, president of RISD and renowned designer, recently posted a comparison chart to demonstrate characteristics and attitudes that differentiate authoritative leaders from creative leaders. Having worked with both types of leaders, I found these lists inspirational. I aspire to resemble the creative leader more and more.

It strikes me that being a creative leader requires a lot of trust. You need to trust that you’re working with people who will rise to meet challenges and who will respond to your openness and flexibility with those same qualities.

In contrast, authoritative leadership is really about checking off boxes, CYA, and making sure you’re never wrong. I don’t know about you, but to me, this type of leadership sounds very stressful and unsustainable.